• We would adopt a 50-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax, the Patriot Tax (along with my wife's proposal: free public parking anywhere in America for any hybrid or other car getting more than 35 m.p.g.). A Patriot Tax would help pay for the Afghan and Iraq wars and help finance a Manhattan project to speed the development of a hydrogen economy, enabling the public to make a contribution to the war effort while lessening our dependence on foreign oil.

Mon May 24, 2004 10:59 AM ET

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vermont was designated an "endangered place" on Monday by preservationists who say Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, threatens the picturesque state with huge new stores that smash rural life.

In its annual list of most endangered historic places, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the state of Vermont because of an "onslaught of big-box" stores by Wal-Mart, the Arkansas-based retailer.

Trust President Richard Moe said Wal-Mart planned to "saturate" Vermont -- known for its quaint villages, winding back roads and strong sense of community -- with seven new "Super Stores."

These stores, said Moe, would spur more development, sprawl and lead to disinvestment in historic downtown areas and a loss of locally owned business.

"We are sounding the alarm bell that Vermonters need to pay attention to this," Moe said in an interview, pointing out that Vermont also made its list in 1993 for the same reasons.

He criticized Wal-Mart and other retailers for not consulting properly with local communities before building giant stores, which changed the fabric of community life.

"We think Wal-Mart and other big box retailers should work with communities and have stores of a size and a design which are compatible with the community," he said.

In Vermont, Moe said there were currently four Wal-Mart Stores amounting to about 300,000 square feet of space and the company proposed quadrupling this to at least 1.3 million square feet in seven new stores.

"Vermont is a small state and it is uniquely a state of small towns. There is no question the character of this state will be dramatically changed if those seven stores are built," he said.

[....]

By Paul Waldman, Gadflyer - May 14, 2004

Last week Vice President Cheney traveled to Bentonville, Arkansas, home of America's largest corporation, to sing huzzahs to the glory that is Wal-Mart and its key role in our economy. "The story of Wal-Mart exemplifies some of the very best qualities in our country – hard work, the spirit of enterprise, fair dealing, and integrity," Cheney said. "The managers and associates at this great company are helping to drive our economy forward. You're making a vital contribution to the most prosperous economy in the world."

What is it that has Dick Cheney so enthusiastic about Wal-Mart? Perhaps it's their embrace of globalization, as more and more of Wal-Mart's products are produced by sweatshop labor in third world countries, in the endless quest for lower labor costs (founder Sam Walton's autobiography was called Made in America).

May 19 gas-boycott is for pansy-ass unamerican terrorist-sympathizers!

Oil prices have been kept abnormally low for a long time and we have built much of our economy on the assumption that oil will stay cheap. We need to build an infrastructure that is not so dependent on oil. And we will not have the impetus to do so unless gasoline prices keep rising.

Gasoline prices are so unrealistically low that consumers don't care—they have been purchasing large quantities of reckless vehicles like individual cars and SUVs . Roughly half of the United States' petroleum demand is for personal consumption, primarily for cars, trucks and S.U.V.'s, a situation that, in turn, makes the nation ever more dependent on an increasingly endangered supply of foreign oil. The only way to send a message to american consumers that they are abusing a limited resourse and FUNDING TERRORISM is for the PRICE OF GASOLINE TO GO THROUGH THE ROOF.

Please write to the CEOs of Shell, Exxon, Mobil, etc. and REQUEST THEY RAISE GAS PRICES to help America WIN THE WAR ON TERROR! Please pass this email on to every PATRIOTIC AMERICAN you know.

$5 a gallon, baby. By November. Bring it on!!!

See also, Fuel Efficient Driving Habits over at World Changing

"Gas pump prices may be starting to be felt in dealer showrooms, according to a report from an automotive information provider showing that compact car prices are getting a lift while there is downward pressure on prices for large sport/utility vehicles and pickups."

Well, I've been aggravated with the increase in gas prices. But maybe this is the bright side?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the world's biggest retailer, has agreed to pay a $3.1 million civil penalty to settle charges of violations of the federal Clean Water Act at store construction sites across the country, the U.S. government said on Wednesday. Wal-Mart also agreed to institute better control measures to reduce storm water runoff at construction sites, the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement.

The complaint filed against Wal-Mart alleged violations at 24 sites in nine states. It included charges it failed to get a permit before beginning construction and did not develop a plan to control polluted runoff water. "Runoff from construction sites is a primary contributor to the impairment of water quality in the nation," said Thomas Skinner, acting assistant administrator of the EPA's office of enforcement and compliance.

A spokesman for Wal-Mart, which posted a $9 billion profit in the last fiscal year, was not immediately available for comment. Wal-Mart shares were down 73 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $53.80 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American motorists facing record-high pump prices are cruising new Internet sites created to help steer them to the cheapest gasoline in town.

Web sites like GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com give consumers a free, up-to-the-minute way to track prices at retail outlets that line the nation's highways.

The sites have enlisted an army of volunteer "spotters" who scout and contribute prices collected as they commute to work or duck out for lunch.

"Now I know how to beat the system after observing how these gas stations operate," said Mike Wolf, 49, an experienced spotter on GasBuddy's Twin Cities Web site, where he goes by the name "wolfer."

For drivers of gas-guzzling SUVs, a nickel price difference translates to $1 in savings, based on a 20-gallon tank.

Photos & notes about a quaint neighborhood "slowly" being replaced by monster-sized cookie-cutter mansion-oids.

New ad campaign for Boscov's. "Country's Largest Family-Owned Department Store."

But I hate their website. Well, it could be worse. But it's so....generic. And slick.

...McMaybe....

Some people are not aware of this. I didn't know for a long time. You're supposed to tip the pizza delivery driver like you tip the waiter. They rely on tips and use their own car. This site will explore your questions about tipping and how you can speed up the delivery time.

Your tips are greatly appreciated. It's what keeps drivers moving.

Absolutely. Drivers perform a service by bringing dinner to your door. They take on financial costs and difficulties, more than most people realize. Pizza delivery is considered a hazardous job by the US government. They are third most likely to be murdered on the job, right after police officer and taxi driver.

posted by Michael | Tuesday 04 May 2004 1:42 PM
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